Google SecOps CLI User Guide

Supported in:

Google secops SIEM

The Google Security Operations SDK provides a comprehensive command-line interface (CLI) that makes it easy to interact with Google SecOps products from your terminal. The new secops CLI replaces the legacy chronicle_cli with enhanced functionality and improved user experience.

Overview

The secops CLI provides access to:

• Search and analyze UDM events
• Manage feeds, forwarders, and parsers
• Create and manage detection rules
• Handle alerts and cases
• Manage reference lists and data tables
• Export data to BigQuery and Google Cloud Storage
• Query Gemini AI for security insights
• And much more

Google SecOps CLI commands use the following syntax:

$ secops COMMAND [SUBCOMMAND] [OPTIONS]

For example, to search for events:

$ secops search --query "metadata.event_type = \"NETWORK_CONNECTION\"" --time-window 24

Before you begin

Before installing the Google SecOps CLI, ensure you have:

• Python 3.8 or higher installed in your environment. For more information, see Installing Python.
• A Google SecOps instance with appropriate access permissions.
• Authentication credentials (service account or Application Default Credentials).

Installation

Install the SecOps SDK which includes the CLI:

pip install secops

Verify the installation:

$ secops --help

Authentication

The CLI supports multiple authentication methods:

Using Application Default Credentials (Recommended)

# Set up ADC with gcloud
gcloud auth application-default login

Using Service Account

Place your service account JSON file in a secure location and reference it in commands:

$ secops search --service-account "/path/to/service-account.json" --customer-id "your-instance-id" --project-id "your-project-id" --query "metadata.event_type = \"USER_LOGIN\""

Configuration

Save common settings to avoid repetition in commands:

Save Configuration

# Save instance and authentication settings
$ secops config set --customer-id "your-instance-id" --project-id "your-project-id" --region "us"

# Save service account path (optional)
$ secops config set --service-account "/path/to/service-account.json" --customer-id "your-instance-id" --project-id "your-project-id"

# Set default time window
$ secops config set --time-window 48

View Configuration

$ secops config view

Clear Configuration

$ secops config clear

Regions

The CLI supports all Google SecOps regions. You can set the region using:

• The --region flag with any command
• The configuration file using secops config set --region REGION

Supported regions include: * US (default) * EUROPE * ASIA-SOUTHEAST1 * ASIA-SOUTH1 * AUSTRALIA-SOUTHEAST1 * EUROPE-WEST2, EUROPE-WEST3, EUROPE-WEST6, EUROPE-WEST9, EUROPE-WEST12 * And more

Core Commands

Search Events

Search for UDM events using query syntax:

# Search with UDM query
$ secops search --query "metadata.event_type = \"NETWORK_CONNECTION\"" --time-window 24 --max-events 100

# Search using natural language
$ secops search --nl-query "show me failed login attempts" --time-window 24

# Export results as CSV
$ secops search --query "metadata.event_type = \"USER_LOGIN\" AND security_result.action = \"BLOCK\"" \
    --fields "metadata.event_timestamp,principal.user.userid,principal.ip" \
    --time-window 24 --csv

Entity Information

Get detailed information about IPs, domains, or file hashes:

$ secops entity --value "8.8.8.8" --time-window 24
$ secops entity --value "example.com" --time-window 24
$ secops entity --value "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855" --time-window 24

Statistics

Run statistical analyses on your data:

$ secops stats --query "metadata.event_type = \"NETWORK_CONNECTION\"
match:
  target.hostname
outcome:
  \$count = count(metadata.id)
order:
  \$count desc" --time-window 24

Feed Management

Manage data ingestion feeds in Google SecOps:

List Feeds

$ secops feed list

Create Feed

# Create an HTTP feed
$ secops feed create \
    --display-name "My HTTP Feed" \
    --details '{"logType":"projects/your-project-id/locations/us/instances/your-instance-id/logTypes/WINEVTLOG","feedSourceType":"HTTP","httpSettings":{"uri":"https://example.com/feed","sourceType":"FILES"}}'

Update Feed

$ secops feed update --id "feed-123" --display-name "Updated Feed Name"

Enable/Disable Feed

$ secops feed enable --id "feed-123"
$ secops feed disable --id "feed-123"

Delete Feed

$ secops feed delete --id "feed-123"

Parser Management

Parsers process and normalize raw log data into UDM format:

List Parsers

$ secops parser list
$ secops parser list --log-type "WINDOWS"

Get Parser Details

$ secops parser get --log-type "WINDOWS" --id "pa_12345"

Create Parser

# Create from file
$ secops parser create --log-type "CUSTOM_LOG" --parser-code-file "/path/to/parser.conf"

# Create from string
$ secops parser create --log-type "CUSTOM_LOG" --parser-code "filter { mutate { add_field => { \"test\" => \"value\" } } }"

Test Parser

Test a parser against sample logs before deployment:

# Test with inline logs
$ secops parser run \
    --log-type OKTA \
    --parser-code-file "./parser.conf" \
    --log '{"message": "Test log 1"}' \
    --log '{"message": "Test log 2"}'

# Test with logs from file
$ secops parser run \
    --log-type WINDOWS \
    --parser-code-file "./parser.conf" \
    --logs-file "./sample_logs.txt"

Activate/Deactivate Parser

$ secops parser activate --log-type "WINDOWS" --id "pa_12345"
$ secops parser deactivate --log-type "WINDOWS" --id "pa_12345"

Delete Parser

$ secops parser delete --log-type "WINDOWS" --id "pa_12345"

Parser Extension Management

Parser extensions extend existing parsers without replacing them:

List Extensions

$ secops parser-extension list --log-type OKTA

Create Extension

$ secops parser-extension create --log-type OKTA \
    --log /path/to/sample.log \
    --parser-config-file /path/to/parser-config.conf

Activate Extension

$ secops parser-extension activate --log-type OKTA --id "1234567890"

Forwarder Management

Forwarders are used to ingest logs with specific configurations:

Create Forwarder

# Basic forwarder
$ secops forwarder create --display-name "my-custom-forwarder"

# With metadata and settings
$ secops forwarder create --display-name "prod-forwarder" \
    --metadata '{"environment":"prod","team":"security"}' \
    --upload-compression true \
    --http-settings '{"port":80,"host":"example.com"}'

List Forwarders

$ secops forwarder list --page-size 100

Get Forwarder

$ secops forwarder get --id "1234567890"

Update Forwarder

$ secops forwarder update --id "1234567890" --display-name "updated-name"

Delete Forwarder

$ secops forwarder delete --id "1234567890"

Log Ingestion

Ingest logs into Google SecOps:

Ingest Raw Logs

# From file
$ secops log ingest --type "OKTA" --file "/path/to/okta_logs.json"

# With labels
$ secops log ingest --type "WINDOWS" --file "/path/to/logs.xml" \
    --labels "environment=production,team=security"

# Inline message
$ secops log ingest --type "WINDOWS" --message "{\"event\": \"data\"}"

Ingest UDM Events

$ secops log ingest-udm --file "/path/to/udm_event.json"

List Log Types

$ secops log types
$ secops log types --search "windows"

Generate UDM Mapping

$ secops log generate-udm-mapping \
    --log-format "JSON" \
    --log '{"id":"123","user":"test_user","source_ip":"192.168.1.10"}'

Rule Management

Manage detection rules:

List Rules

$ secops rule list --page-size 50

Create Rule

$ secops rule create --file "/path/to/rule.yaral"

Update Rule

$ secops rule update --id "ru_12345" --file "/path/to/updated_rule.yaral"

Enable/Disable Rule

$ secops rule enable --id "ru_12345" --enabled true
$ secops rule enable --id "ru_12345" --enabled false

Test Rule

Test a rule against historical data:

# Test for last 24 hours
$ secops rule test --file "/path/to/rule.yaral" --time-window 24

# Test with specific time range
$ secops rule test --file "/path/to/rule.yaral" \
    --start-time "2023-07-01T00:00:00Z" \
    --end-time "2023-07-02T00:00:00Z" \
    --max-results 1000

Validate Rule

$ secops rule validate --file "/path/to/rule.yaral"

Delete Rule

$ secops rule delete --id "ru_12345"

Alert Management

Get and manage alerts:

$ secops alert --time-window 24 --max-alerts 50
$ secops alert --snapshot-query "feedback_summary.status != \"CLOSED\"" --time-window 24

Case Management

Retrieve case details:

$ secops case --ids "case-123,case-456"

Data Tables

Data tables are structured data collections for use in detection rules:

Create Data Table

$ secops data-table create \
    --name "suspicious_ips" \
    --description "Known suspicious IP addresses" \
    --header '{"ip_address":"CIDR","description":"STRING","severity":"STRING"}'

Add Rows

$ secops data-table add-rows \
    --name "suspicious_ips" \
    --rows '[["192.168.1.100","Scanning activity","Medium"]]'

List Rows

$ secops data-table list-rows --name "suspicious_ips"

Delete Data Table

$ secops data-table delete --name "suspicious_ips"

Reference Lists

Reference lists are simple value lists for detection rules:

Create Reference List

$ secops reference-list create \
    --name "admin_accounts" \
    --description "Administrative accounts" \
    --entries "admin,administrator,root,superuser"

Update Reference List

$ secops reference-list update \
    --name "admin_accounts" \
    --entries "admin,administrator,root,superuser,sysadmin"

List Reference Lists

$ secops reference-list list

Data Export

Export data for analysis:

Create Export

# Export specific log type
$ secops export create \
    --gcs-bucket "projects/my-project/buckets/my-bucket" \
    --log-type "WINDOWS" \
    --time-window 24

# Export all logs
$ secops export create \
    --gcs-bucket "projects/my-project/buckets/my-bucket" \
    --all-logs \
    --time-window 168

Check Export Status

$ secops export status --id "export-123"

Cancel Export

$ secops export cancel --id "export-123"

List Available Log Types for Export

$ secops export log-types --time-window 24

Gemini AI Integration

Query Gemini AI for security insights:

# Ask about security concepts
$ secops gemini --query "What is Windows event ID 4625?"

# Generate detection rules
$ secops gemini --query "Write a rule to detect PowerShell downloading files"

# Get vulnerability information
$ secops gemini --query "Tell me about CVE-2021-44228"

Opt-in to Gemini:

$ secops gemini --opt-in

Dashboard Management

Manage native dashboards:

Create Dashboard

$ secops dashboard create \
    --display-name "Security Overview" \
    --description "Security monitoring dashboard" \
    --access-type PRIVATE

List Dashboards

$ secops dashboard list --page-size 10

Update Dashboard

$ secops dashboard update --id dashboard-id \
    --display-name "Updated Security Dashboard" \
    --description "Updated security monitoring dashboard"

Export/Import Dashboard

# Export
$ secops dashboard export --dashboard-names 'projects/your-project-id/locations/us/instances/your-instance-id/nativeDashboard/xxxxxxx'

# Import
$ secops dashboard import --dashboard-data-file dashboard_data.json

Add Chart to Dashboard

$ secops dashboard add-chart --dashboard-id dashboard-id \
    --display-name "DNS Query Chart" \
    --description "Shows DNS query patterns" \
    --query-file dns_query.txt \
    --chart_layout '{"startX": 0, "spanX": 12, "startY": 0, "spanY": 8}'

Delete Dashboard

$ secops dashboard delete --id dashboard-id

Advanced Examples

Complete Parser Workflow

Retrieve, test, and deploy a parser:

# List parsers
$ secops parser list --log-type "OKTA" > okta_parsers.json

# Get parser details
PARSER_ID=$(cat okta_parsers.json | jq -r '.[0].name' | awk -F'/' '{print $NF}')
$ secops parser get --log-type "OKTA" --id "$PARSER_ID" > parser_details.json

# Extract parser code
cat parser_details.json | jq -r '.cbn' | base64 -d > okta_parser.conf

# Test parser
$ secops parser run \
    --log-type "OKTA" \
    --parser-code-file "okta_parser.conf" \
    --logs-file "sample_logs.txt" > parser_result.json

# Activate if successful
$ secops parser activate --log-type "OKTA" --id "$PARSER_ID"

Search and Export Workflow

Search for events and export results:

# Search for failed logins
$ secops search \
    --query "metadata.event_type = \"USER_LOGIN\" AND security_result.action = \"BLOCK\"" \
    --fields "metadata.event_timestamp,principal.user.userid,principal.ip" \
    --time-window 24 \
    --csv > failed_logins.csv

# Get entity details for suspicious IPs
cat failed_logins.csv | awk -F',' '{print $3}' | sort -u | while read ip; do
    secops entity --value "$ip" --time-window 72
done

Rule Testing and Deployment

Create, test, and deploy a detection rule:

# Create rule file
cat > suspicious_activity.yaral << 'EOF'
rule suspicious_powershell {
    meta:
        description = "Detects suspicious PowerShell activity"
        severity = "Medium"
    events:
        $e.metadata.event_type = "PROCESS_LAUNCH"
        $e.principal.process.file.full_path = /powershell\.exe/i nocase
        $e.principal.process.command_line = /download|invoke-expression|hidden/i nocase
    condition:
        $e
}
EOF

# Validate rule
$ secops rule validate --file suspicious_activity.yaral

# Test against historical data
$ secops rule test --file suspicious_activity.yaral --time-window 168

# Create and enable if tests pass
$ secops rule create --file suspicious_activity.yaral
$ secops rule enable --id "ru_generated_id" --enabled true

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Authentication Errors

If you encounter authentication errors:

1. Verify your credentials are valid
2. Check that your service account has the necessary permissions
3. Ensure ADC is configured correctly: gcloud auth application-default login

Region Errors

If you get region-related errors:

1. Verify the region is supported
2. Check that your instance is in the specified region
3. Use --region flag or set it in configuration

Rate Limiting

For rate limiting issues:

1. Reduce the frequency of API calls
2. Use pagination for large result sets
3. Implement exponential backoff for retries

Getting Help

View help for any command:

$ secops --help
$ secops search --help
$ secops rule create --help

Migration from chronicle_cli

If you're migrating from the legacy chronicle_cli, here's a mapping of common commands:

chronicle_cli	secops
chronicle_cli feeds create	secops feed create
chronicle_cli feeds list	secops feed list
chronicle_cli feeds update	secops feed update
chronicle_cli feeds delete	secops feed delete
chronicle_cli parsers list	secops parser list
chronicle_cli parsers create	secops parser create
chronicle_cli parsers activate	secops parser activate
chronicle_cli forwarders create	secops forwarder create
chronicle_cli forwarders list	secops forwarder list

The new secops CLI offers many additional features not available in chronicle_cli, including:

• Natural language search
• Gemini AI integration
• Dashboard management
• Rule testing and validation
• Data tables and reference lists
• Case management
• And much more

Additional Resources

• SecOps SDK GitHub Repository
• Google Security Operations API Documentation
• UDM Field Reference
• YARA-L 2.0 Language Reference